“The classroom, with all its limitations, remains a location of possibility.

bell hooks (1994)

I am a PhD student in the Department of Educational Foundations, Leadership, and Technology at Auburn University. My scholarship uses qualitative and quantitative methods to examine the complexities of adult education. In particular, I focus on understanding three concepts relevant to theory and practice in adult education: effectiveness, engagement, and equity. The first concept, effectiveness, involves understanding how targeted learning outcomes are reached with adults. The second concept, engagement, involves understanding how adults are motivated to play an active and agentic role in learning. The third concept, equity, involves understanding how learning situations for adults are designed with the identities and the needs of learners at the center. Together, these concepts frame my research agenda in such a way that enables meaningful and robust inquiry on adult education. Other areas of inquiry are social justice, international students, civic education, and lifelong learning. I also contribute to the scholarship of teaching and learning in partnership with faculty across institutions and disciplines.

I currently work in the Biggio Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning at Auburn University as a research assistant who specializes in the scholarship of teaching and learning.

I am a first-generation student from a working-class family in Appalachia.

About Me

  • Interconnections of Learning, Social Class, and Parenting in a Community College

    The purpose of this study is to center the voices of parenting students at a community college. In particular, it explores the interconnections of learning, social class, and parenting using social role theory. It draws on secondary data from an institutional survey to understand how parenting students navigate living and learning in multiple––often conflicting––roles and to offer recommendations for ensuring that they have unemcumbered experiences.

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Contact Me

Thanks for visiting my website. Reach out to me if you are interested in learning more about my work. I welcome inquiries about potential collaborations and possible consultations within my areas of expertise.